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EDWARD Rouse r eUGnSf-Ce. MAINE Marleen @mesme YESSLELS.

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Be it known that I, EDM-RD` HOUSE Of Auguste, in. the county 0f I ennebec 'and State of Maine, havel invented Certain new and useful; Improvements in the Manner of Constructing Apparatus for the Steering of Vessels; and I d ok hereby declare. that the following is a full` and exact` description thereof, reference being had to the accoming up and paying off the rope. The formv panying drawings, which make a part of this specification.

In these drawings Figure 1, is a perspective, and Fig. 2, a top view of my apparatus.

In each of these figures where the same parts occur they are designated by the same letters of lreference.

A, is the rudder head, and B, the forward end of the tiller, which is connected by a joint pin to the levers C, C, which in combination with those D, D, to which they are vconnected by joint pins at E, E, constitute two sets of progressive levers, or toggle joints; the outer ends of these work upon bolts, or joint pins which are iirmly driven into the deck at F, F; these bolts may be in a line, or nearly so, with the forward end of the tiller. Each of the levers C, and D, should be long enough to reach one half the distance, in a straight direction, to the forward end of the tiller when the helm is hard down, or hard up, on the opposite quarter. The joint pins E, E, of the toggles have at their lower ends a truck wheel, or roller, which rests on the deck, and operating as a caster, supports, and allows free'motion to, thev progressive levers. Above these trucks, or rollers, I place a suitable sheave, or pulley, G, of wood or metal, which traverses freely, and receives and guides the wheel, or tiller rope J.

Directly amidships, and forward of the tiller, I place a wheel H, similar to thatin common use, and supported by a frame in the ordinary manner; the shaft of this wheel carries a barrel I, for the purpose of windgiven to this barrel, is compensating, operating on the principle of the fusee of a time piece, it being so graduated as to play off and wind up the rope in a degree proportioned tothe length and situation of the levers, or other apparatus employed. The.

amount of this compensation will of course vary with variations in the sizeand arrangement of the other parts of the appal but it may, be readily either by Calculation; or. byv` actual; trial. It Will bel seen in the" drawing 'that this compensating b arrel has its largest diameter in the middle, and diminishes nasze, ytoward each end. Variations may be made in this form', ,1

while the same principle ofaction' is re- 3 tained; `but that which I have given I Vdeem the most simple, and the best. By means of this compensating barrel I produce an equal tension of the wheel rope at all times. This has been a greatdesideratum with nautical men, as it renders the steering comparatively easy, and certain, and prevents those sudden jerks to which the steering vwheel yis subjected, when this equal tension is not kept up; and this, I believe, has not been previously effected. Y l

To render the rope fairly on to, and olf from, the barrel I, and to connect it properly with the .toggle joints, the rope or chain J, passes around the sheaves of the leading blocks K, K, that are attached to the deck by hooks, or staples. The rope is then reeved around the sheave or pulley G, then through the block L, and back to the joints E, E, of the levers, where it is made fast to them, as represented. The middle of the rope is secured to the center of the compensating barrel; when so affixed the whole is When vessels are so constructed as to. allow the necessary room to carry out the tiller abaft the rudder head, the wheel may be placed immediately forward of said head. Its axle may, in that case be supported at the wheel end by a swivel in the top ofthe rudder, or by a post firmly set in the deck; its after end having its bearing on the stern timbers, or talfrail of the vessel. The barrel in this case is placed on the .after end Vof the axle, as represented in Fig. 3, where,

the respective parts are designated by the same letters, as in the other figures; by inspecting this drawing, it will be manifest that the vessel may be steered by my apparatus with the tiller placed abaft the rudder head without making any substantial change in its construction. It will be manifest also to lall persons `familiarly acquainted with naval construction, that under a like arrangement the wheel rope may, by means of the leading blocks, be carried to anyV part of the vessel Where it may be desirable to station the Wheel.

I use said toggle joint levers, which, as above stated, gradually increase the power as it is Wanted, and effectually support the rudder against theforce of the sea When the helm is hard up; it being easier, in fact, to hold it in that position by thev man at the Wheel, than when the Wheel rope only is used, which commonly operates at that point to a greater disadvantage than at any other.

Having thus fully described my improvements in the manner of constructing the apparatus vfor the steering of vessels, What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of a compensating barrel With two sets of toggle joint levers arranged substantially as described and the Whole being made to coperate With the tiller for the purpose setforth; not intending 25 by this claim to limit myself to the precise form of the respective parts as herein represented, but to vary these as I may find expedient While I attain the same end by means substantially the same. EDWARD ROUSE. Witnesses:

ALANsoN STEUTES, WM. M. STRATTON. 

